Mei Ling opened her eyes fully, blinking as she noticed they had slipped shut again
Her life was different from the past, yet the habit of relying only on herself had followed her into it. She refused to let anything hold her back.
She thought back to her days at the University, the classes, research deadlines, presentations, and the constant need to balance study with survival, all of which had shaped the way she worked now.
Her phone chimed beside her. She checked the screen briefly, hoping it was something urgent, before seeing it was only a text from her editor, reminding her again to take more time if needed.
She locked the screen without replying and set it aside.
She sat up immediately, slid her legs over the edge of the bed, and got on her feet.
She crossed to the window and watched the street below.
A delivery rider weaved through traffic, at full speed a woman hurried across the road clutching her bag to her side, and a driver leaned on his horn as the lights changed and cars surged forward.
She left the window, carrying the familiar feeling that she was always a step behind.
She entered the bathroom and turned on the shower at once. The water ran over her skin, relieving the stiffness in her body. She stayed only as long as needed before drying off and stepping out.
A bowl of cereal sat on the kitchen counter. She poured in milk and ate standing, her attention occasionally shifting toward the doorway.
She had already made her decision. She wouldn't take more days off.
This wasn't because she was fully healed, but because staying still gave her nothing. She had rested enough. Her body could move, her mind was clear, and there was no reason left to remain idle. Although the accident had happened, she refused to let it define the rest of her life, or slow her down any further.
Rest didn't bring answers. It only gave room for doubt.
She finished eating, rinsed the bowl, and left it in the sink before returning to her room and opening her wardrobe.
She picked a brown blouse and a black skirt that fell to her knees. A thin belt settled at her waist as she slid her feet into her black heels. She pulled her hair into a low ponytail, choosing convenience over style.
She stopped by the mirror, one hand resting against its edge as she studied her reflection.
Nothing about her appearance had changed, except the way she looked at herself. She no longer saw the same helpless girl staring back at her.
She turned away.
Her bag was always set from the night before. She checked it once, out of habit. She hated being unprepared, leaving little room for mistakes. Satisfied, she slung it over her shoulder. The door shut behind her with a clean, final click.
Mei Ling blended into the rush of people, disappearing among the passing crowd. Ahead of her, a man was down on one knee proposing to his partner, a small crowd forming around them in excitement.
She barely spared the couple a glance before continuing on, unconcerned by the scene.
She didn't head toward her office. Halfway through her usual route, she changed direction and took a different street toward the police station near the road where the accident had happened. It was the station that had handled the case after the crash, and the records from that day were still kept there.
The building was small, with access limited only to authorized personnels.
Police officers moved through the entrance carrying reports, exchanging brief words that ended as quickly as they began.
Mei Ling entered and went straight to the front desk.
She placed her identification card on its surface.
"Good day. I'm a criminal journalist and the victim of the traffic accident that occurred on this road. I'd like to review the CCTV footage from that day."
The officer on duty didn't respond at first. Instead, he picked up the ID and examined it. His eyes moved cautiously from the card to her face.
He entered her details into the system, confirming her identity and cross-checking the case file linked to the reported accident.
After a moment, he nodded.
"We cannot provide the full footage. Only clips relevant to an ongoing or closed case can be reviewed with authorization," he said.
He made a brief call to the internal monitoring unit and arranged for her to view the footage under supervision.
Mei Ling was led through a corridor into a surveillance access room. The room was quiet, its screens filled with real-time footage and stored recordings arranged by time, location, and case number.
An officer logged into the system and entered the case file linked to her accident report. Mei Ling stood behind him.
The footage began to load.
At first, the recording was intact. The road appeared exactly as she remembered it. The timestamps matched the time of the incident.
Then the playback cut.
The timeline showed an abrupt interruption where the footage should have continued.
The officer searched the backup files and other storage sections, checking the timestamp again and attempting to recover the missing portion through the system.
Every attempt led to the same result. The time of the accident was gone, not damaged or partly erased, but completely removed from the system without a trace.
The officer inspected the playback records and system logs once more before speaking.
"This part of the recording isn't in the archive," he said.
Mei Ling leaned closer to the screen.
Her attention shifted from the blank gap to the footage immediately preceding it.
Something in the footage drew her attention.
A car was parked across the road where the accident had occurred.
It stayed in place as the other vehicles passed around it.
The plate number was clearly visible.
She raised her hand and pointed at the screen. "I'd like to take a screenshot of that car," she said.
The officer hesitated, then complied after confirming that the request was permitted under the case review procedure.
"We can only show what is relevant to the case file," he said flatly afterwards, ending the viewing session. His tone making it clear that he was merely following the station's rules.
Mei Ling said nothing, and exited the room.
What did that vehicle have to do with her accident?